Detachable plug.



W. S. BACON.

DETACHABLE PLUG.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 10. 1915.

1,174,378. Patented Mar. 7,1916.

' conductors.

,My device comprises WILLIAM S. BACON, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALF 'I.O OTTO KESSLER; OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

DETACHABLE PLUG.

It is an object of this invention to pro vide novel and improved means whereby electric connections can be quickly and securely established between electric conductors by means of a detachable Plug which is inserted into a suitable socket.

Another object of my invention is to provide means whereby it is unnecessary to screw the plug into the socket as is the case with the ordinary plugs in use. The present plug needs merely to be pushed into the corresponding socket, thereby making a secure and intimate connection between the electric a base member for separable attachment plugs provided with resilient contact shell sections which arecompressed while the plug is inserted into the socket but which. after insertion ergpand, forming a perfect electric contact and securely holding the plug in place within the socket. I 1

My invention consists 1n the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described andpointed out' inthe appended I ,claims. v-

. In the drawings which form a part of this specification: ;Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of my improved detachable. plugl more body: a .A connection for the other conshown attached to a swivel connection which is not a part of the present invention i so but is claimed in my" application for Letters Patent Serial Number 20,420 filed] April 10, 1915. Fig. 2 shows aside elevation with parts broken away of my detachable plug a socket; Fig. 3 shows a similar view of another modification of my plug. Flg. 4'

shows a vertical section of still another- I modifiedform. Fig. 5 is'a horizontal sec- F.

tion taken on line 5-5 offFig. 3.

In the form-illustrated in Fig 1, I'liavei shown the plug mounted on a swiveled conl Specification of LettersIatent.

Application filed April 10, 1915. Serial No. 20,419.

of an inturned flange.

of a modified. form in position within 5" Patented Mar. 7,1916.

nectionl 10. This connection permits the rotataon of the plug and prevents the electric conductor to which the plug is connected from becoming twisted or 'kinked from constant use, thereby lengthening the life of the wire. However, since this swiveled connection forms no part of the present invention a detailed description thereof is unnectherefrom. An upstanding flange 13 extending from the projection 12 forms an an;-

nula r channel between the core and said flange. Extending downwardly from the projection 12 is .an annular .fiange 14: to which the casing 15 i-nclosing the mechanism of the 'swivele'd connection is secured by means of screws 16. A contact shell 17 consisting of two sections is secured to the upper part of the insulation core by means The central part of said contact shell is provided with the usual -standa-rd'corrugation corresponding to any of the electric female sockets. end of each section of the contact shell is 'turned upwardly forming a .fi-ange. Be- .tween one section of the shell and the body, portion of the core is disposed a spring 18. This spring is bow shaped and bent out wardly at itscentral portion forcing the The lower shell section away from the core body. Said spring also serves as an electric conductor and passes throughthe insulating core to the 1 lower side thereof where it is secured by a j screw. 19, this-screw 19 serving also as a binding post for one of the fixture wires. The otherspring 18 merely serves for forcing the other shell section away from the j yvhijch is'secured by a screw 21 to the lower of the core body. Screw 21 serves a binding post for the other elecnductor. On diametrically "opposite ntson flange 13 are" provided push P buttons 22 made of fiber or porcelain which l' du'ctor isestablished by meansof a central post which passes through the longitudinal center of the core bodyand is provided with 'a contaot'head on either end, said heads bebody. The lower end of said' central post abuts against a' leaf spring 20 abut at their inner ends against the upturned flanges of the shell sections. If it is desired to connect this plug with a socket it is only necessary to compress the pushbuttons 22 which will force the shell sections inwardly against the tension of springs 18' and 18 and to insert the plug into the socket. On releasing the push buttons springs 18 and 18 will force the shell sections against the corrugations of the socket thereby insuring a perfect contact between the lateral and central terminals. The plug can be given a fraction of a turn after it is inserted and will tighten as the corrugations of my plug are made to fit the standard electric female sockets.

In Figs. 2, 3 and d1 have shown a slightly modified form of my device showing the plug to be permanently secured to the end of an incandescent light.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the contact shell consists of a plurality of sections permanently secured to the plug at the upper end. A spring 24 interposed between the core body and the shell section tends to force the latter outwardly. The lower ends of the shell section are provided with buttons 25'. When inserting the incandescent light provided with my improved plug it is only necessary to press buttons 25 inwardly against the tension of spring 24,

thereby decreasing the diameter of the contact shell and to push the plug into the socket. On releasing buttons 25, spring 24" will force the contact sections outwardly insuring a perfect contact between the electric conductors and at the same time holding the plug securely in place. I

In Fig. 2 the spring forcing the shell'section outwardly is dispensed with, the shell sections themselves, which in this instance are four, but may be any preferred number,

constituting the spring. The lower ends of said sections are provided with an outwardly extending flange 26 which has for its object to prevent ring 27 from slipping off said sections. This ring 27, consisting of fiber or similar insulating material, en-

'circles the shell sections at their lower portions as shown. The sections are constrictednear their lower ends and when ring 27 encircles the sections at this point itallows the maximum expansion outwardly of the sections. .When inserting this plug into the socket, ring 27 is pushed downwardly toward flange 26 and in doing so will force the sections against the core body thereby enabling the plug to be inserted in the socket.

In Fig. 4 a similar construction is shown except that push buttons 28 are substituted for the ring 27? Compressing buttons 28, the sections will be forced inwardly toward the core body, whereby the plug may be inserted into the socket and on the releas ing of said buttons the sections will expand outwardly holding the plug securely in plape and insuring a perfect electric con- As shownin Fig. 5, the button carrying sect ons slightly overlap the intermediate sections.

.It is thus seen that I have provided a new and improved plug which dispenses with the necessity of screwing the same into the socket but which quickly and easily may be inserted and removed from the correspond ing socket.

I claim:

1. A detachable plug for electric conductors compris ng a one piece insulating core, sa d core being provided at its lower end with an upstanding flange forming an annular channel, a pair of corrugated contact shell sections secured at their upper ends to the upper end of said core and extending with their free ends into said. channel, a pair of springs disposed between said core and said shell sections and tending to force said shell sections away from said core, said shell sections and one of said springs forming an-electric conductor, a rod slidably mounted in the longitudinal axis of said core, means to limit the movement of said rod, a rod engaging spring secured to said core for holding said rod upwardly with yielding pressure, said rod and rod engaging spring forming the second electric conductor, a pair of push buttons movably mounted in said upstanding flange for compressing said shell sections against said pair of springs, substantially as described.

2. In a detachable plug for electric conductors comprising an insulating core,' a pair of corrugated contact shell sections secured thereto at their upper ends, a spring member interposed between said core body and one of said sections and tending to force said section away from the core body, a screw securing-the lower end of said spring member to the core body and forming a binding post for one of the electric conductors, another spring interposed between said sections against the action of said springs,

substantially as described. v

3. A detachable plug for electric conductors comprising a one piece insulating core, a pairof corrugated contact shell sections secured at one end to the upper end.

of said core, a pair of springs disposed 1st between said core and said shell sections and tending to force said shell sections away from said core, said shell sections and one of said springs forming an electric conductor, a rod slidably mounted in the longitudinal axis of said core, means to limit the movement of said rod, a rod engaging spring secured to said core for holding said rod upwardly with yielding pressure, said rod. and rod engaging spring forming the second electric conductor, and a pair of push buttons movably mounted on said core for compressing. said shell sections.- against the pressure of said pair of springs, substantially as described. 7

l. A detachable plug for electric con- .ductors comprising a one-piece insulating core, a pair of corrugated contact shell sections secured at one end to the upper end of said core, a pair of springs disposed be-- tween said core and said shell sections and tending to force said shell sections away from said core, said shell sections'and one of said springs forming an electric cona rod constituting the second electric ductor, conductor mounted in the longitudinal axis offsaid core, and a pair of push buttons movably mounted on said core for compressing said shell section against the pressure of said pair of. springs, substantially as described.-

. day of April, 1915.

5'. -A detachable plug for electric conductors comprising a one-piece insulating core, a pair of corrugated contact shell sections secured at one end to the upper end of said core, a pair of springs disposed between said core and said shell sections and tending to force said shell sections away from said core, said shell sections and one of sa1dsprings forming an electric conductor, a second electric conductor mounted between said core and said shell sections and tending to force said shell sections away from said core, said shell sections forming an electric-conductor, a second conductor mounted in the longitudinal axisof said core, and means for compressing the periphery of said shell sections reducing their external diameter, substantially as described.

In witness have hereunto subscribed my name this 3d WILLIAM s. BACON;

that I claim the foregoing L 

